A Curious Consequence
by Casa Circe
Summary: Merle remembers that a certain someone is being kept under guard somewhere in the estate. So, having nothing better to do and a burning curiosity about this strange prisoner, she decides to pay him a visit.
1. Chapter 1

A Curious Consequence

 _Disclaimer:_ _I do not own Escaflowne or its fantastic characters. This is only done for fun and the only profit earned is reviews._

 _Note:_ _This was originally for a five-sentence meme on Tumblr but it got way longer than that so I decided to post it here as a one-shot or maybe even the first chapter of something, who knows? No promises though. Anyway, just a little something set post-series for my little ship, Merlandau. It's such a random pairing that there aren't a lot of fics about them so I'm happy to contribute even a little bit._

 _(Posting this on a special day for me because I love sharing.)_

 _The first sentence is the prompt provided by konstantya._

 _Hope you like it!_

 _0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0_

 _ **She hadn't expected him to open his eyes.**_

And suddenly, two startlingly red eyes were staring back at her. For several moments, all Merle could do was return the look, and then, remembering where she was and who she was facing, she took a few steps back with the greatest care.

"This is what I get for being a busybody," the cat-girl thought with a sigh, "of all the dumb decisions I've ever made, this has got to take the cake."

But her companion made no move towards her. Instead, he blinked and rubbed his eyes, moving about like someone who had just woken up from a long sleep. Which is essentially what had just happened.

He had been unconscious for months and no one knew exactly when or if he would ever wake up again. All Merle knew was that he had been separated from Celena Schezar after the latter had suffered from the strain of supporting two consciousnesses in one body. They had both survived the procedure somehow but while Celena had emerged alive and well, Dilandau's state had been more uncertain. Allen and the others had decided to keep the sleeping figure in a locked room in the Schezar estate, under constant surveillance, until they could figure out how to deal with him. But as the weeks passed and Dilandau's condition showed no change, security around his room became lax.

Which is why it had been so easy for Merle to sneak in, to satisfy her curiosity about the sleeping soldier.

Now that the war was over and things were finally settling down, Merle had the luxury of excruciatingly dull days. She and Van were Allen's visitors but there was very little for her to do while the men discussed things among themselves. Celena was away visiting Princess Eries so Merle had no one to talk to. And so she was left to wander the grounds and to generally do what she pleased. She had remembered that a certain someone was being kept under guard somewhere in the estate. So, having nothing better to do and a burning curiosity about this strange prisoner, she decided to pay him a visit.

She had entered the room quietly at first, afraid that the slightest noise or movement might wake him. But when the figure didn't stir even as she approached his bedside, Merle grew more daring. She made a game of it and began clearing her throat, calling out his name in a sufficiently loud voice, poking his feet and his chest, and even going so far as to give his shoulders a light shake and then immediately stepping away from him in case he actually woke up. But still, nothing.

Emboldened by all this, Merle walked over and took a better look at his face. He had such a serene expression that she almost didn't recognize him. Not that she had seen much of him during the war, but she knew enough of his character and his history with Van to be surprised by such a sight. He did not seem to have aged much despite the passage of time and Merle was surprised to note that his was still quite a beautiful face. She blushed slightly at the thought and was immensely relieved that no one else was there to witness her embarrassment.

She suddenly remembered a particular encounter between Van and Dilandau, one that had intensified the latter's animosity towards the former. Van had said something about slashing at Dilandau's face and while the wound was not fatal, it left a scar that had deeply injured the soldier's vanity.

It did not take long for Merle to find the scar though it was barely visible on his right cheek. One would only be able to notice it if one already knew it was there.

Inexplicably, she felt compelled to reach out and gently trace the scar with her finger. His skin was smooth to her touch and just as she was admiring this quality, Dilandau opened his eyes.

Merle's first instinct was to flee but just as she turned to do so, she felt him grab her arm.

"Wait," said a voice, hoarse from disuse.

Merle turned to see the silver-haired soldier staring back at her, a confused and almost frightened expression on his face. To her relief, there was no recognition in his eyes, but he was still looking at her in a very disconcerting way. She simply looked back at him and said nothing, unsure of what he wanted from her.

"Don't…," he began hesitantly, "don't ...leave me alone."

Merle's eyes widened with disbelief at this request but she could see that he was being sincere. His grip was firm but not painful. He was no longer the vicious captain of Zaibach who had struck fear in the hearts of many. She was not sure if that part of him was lost forever but she knew that the person she faced now was not that man.

She sensed no immediate danger and she could not find it in herself to refuse such a blatant cry for help. The others would find out eventually, anyway. There was no harm in delaying the news for a little while, she decided.

"And there I thought it was going to be a boring day," the cat-girl mused.


	2. Chapter 2

A Curious Consequence

 _Disclaimer:_ _I do not own Escaflowne or its fantastic characters. This is only done for fun and the only profit earned is reviews._

 _Note:_ _So I decided to expand this one-shot a bit because I got some new ideas of where to take it. It stood on its own quite well but there was still room to add some interesting bits. This won't be a long story though. I've planned to add only two more chapters to keep this a neat little trilogy. It took me a while to get this written but I'm hoping to get the next (final) chapter up soon-ish._

 _Small point of information: Folken is alive in this story. I will spare you the details._

 _I also decided to post this today as a mini-tribute to Merle. I've usually only done this for Dilandau, Folken, and Eries but Merle's been growing on me the past year or so. And she needs more love._

 _Happy Birthday, Merle!_

 _0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0_

"How do we know each other exactly?"

A straightforward enough question but one Merle found impossible to answer at that moment. She was still thrown by Dilandau's having regained consciousness and his seemingly earnest plea for her to stay with him.

The invalid had tried to get out of bed but had gotten dizzy at every attempt. Eventually he realized that he only had enough energy to sit up on the bed. But he was determined not to be left alone so Merle pulled up a chair and sat beside him. He was agitated but not violent and seemed to have no memory of his past. He remembered his name but nothing else and so it was a comfort to have someone who seemed to be acquainted with him around to fill in the gaps. Though he had yet to understand the nature of their acquaintance. Merle had certainly not been forthcoming with details.

"Well," she began hesitantly, struggling to find the appropriate words, but feeling pressured the intensely expectant way he was looking at her, "I….I…I am not your enemy."

That seemed truthful enough. It would have been absurd to call herself his friend.

He raised an eyebrow at this. "And why should you be? Is there a war or something?"

"You really don't remember?" Merle asked uncertainly.

Dilandau rolled his eyes. "Would I be asking if I did?"

His memories may have not returned but he retained some of his personality, Merle noted. He was in relatively good spirits, at least. She found this strangely comforting. It was too confusing having to deal with him in such a state. Not that she had been prepared to deal with him at all.

He pressed her for more details and she went so far as describing what countries they were from and the general sequence of events. She was careful not to reveal too much. And she decided not to mention, for the time being, that he was currently under lock and key and that people of higher authority had not yet decided his fate. He would find out soon enough and she did not want to be the one to break the news to him.

"So why did you come to see me?" Dilandau asked, genuinely curious. "Did you know I would wake up today? Did you wake me up?"

Merle simply shook her head. "I had no idea you'd wake up today," she said honestly.

"So why were you here? What were you planning to do? Stare at a sleeping person for hours?" Dilandau asked, in a tone of mild amusement.

Merle blushed at this. "It's complicated, you see."

"You're not exactly making it easier to understand."

"Maybe I don't fully understand this myself," she admitted, "this situation, I mean." Or how I got myself into it, she added to herself.

"You and me both," Dilandau remarked with a sigh, leaning back into the headboard and staring at the ceiling. He still felt slightly disoriented but it was easier having someone around even if she wasn't explaining things properly. He was sure she was withholding a lot of information from him but what she had said so far seemed genuine enough. He would content himself with that for the time being as he still felt too tired to argue or quarrel.

Merle watched him carefully. She knew that she should have alerted the guard on duty to this development or somehow summoned Allen or Folken. They would have been better equipped to handle this situation.

"I'm not even supposed to be here," she thought but she felt less regret than she expected.

But then again, she felt a peculiar pleasure at having been "first at the scene", as it were. And though it was a slightly awkward predicament, for some inexplicable reason, she wanted to keep Dilandau to herself for the moment. When the others knew that he was awake, she would certainly not have such an opportunity. And she would also be in the unenviable position of explaining why she was there in the first place, her own reasons remaining a mystery even to herself.

Merle's train of thought was interrupted when Dilandau suddenly leaned forward, clutching at his head tightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked in concern, moving closer to him instinctively.

"My head," he said through gritted teeth, "it hurts, it hurts…so much."

Merle's eyes widened in alarm. "I'll go get help," she suggested but as she stood to leave, he called out to her.

"Stay, please," he said, and how could she refuse?

She watched helplessly as he held his hands to the sides of his head, trying to steady himself. She murmured words of comfort though she wasn't sure if he heard any of them as he stared straight ahead of him and began to tremble slightly. Putting all complications aside, Merle reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. He didn't pull away.

After a few agonizing minutes, the attack seemed to have passed and Dilandau took a long, deep breath and seemed to have regained some composure. Merle sighed with relief and waited for him to get his bearings.

When he finally turned to face her, there was a light of recognition in his eyes.

"I know you."


	3. Chapter 3

A Curious Consequence

 _Disclaimer:_ _I do not own Escaflowne or its fantastic characters. This is only done for fun and the only profit earned is reviews._

 _Note:_

 _Happy Birthday, Dilandau!_

 _So here's the final chapter of this story. It took longer than I expected to put it together but I pushed myself to complete it for today so that I could finally get it out of the way._

 _Not much happened but considering how this was supposed to be a short piece, this already became way longer than it had any right to be. But there were some interesting moments to be explored. Hopefully, it turned out to be worthwhile read after all. And I have no intention of extending it._

 _Thank you to: Konstantya, CCCB, CampionSayn, and MaxedOut9999 for reviewing the story._

 _Special thanks to Konstantya for the prompt._

 _Enjoy!_

 _0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0_

"You're Van Fanel's…"

Dilandau seemed to struggle to find the right word to describe the cat-girl before him. What was she exactly to Van Fanel? A servant, a pet, a lover? He couldn't be sure about the nature of their relationship, and besides, his memory was still a bit hazy and his head was still spinning. All he was certain of was that the cat-girl was Van's constant companion so it was a bit jarring to see her alone in his room.

Merle was slightly annoyed that she was immediately identified in association with Van Fanel, even when such a distinction had once delighted her. She was by no means less loyal or less affectionate towards the young king, but something about being seen merely as an extension of him rankled. But that was how everyone saw her, as Van Fanel's trusted friend and companion, the person constantly at his side, clinging to him at every opportunity.

And where she had been perfectly content with that role all her life, she had also began to ever so slightly resent it. The time after the war had given her less cause to worry about her dear friend and more opportunities to explore things on her own. She had found that she enjoyed her independence and was eager to gain more experience in the world. The change had occurred gradually, because persistent habits could never be easily shed, but she was learning to be her own person and to assert her identity, independently of the king of Fanelia. And so far, she had been proud of her success.

But this encounter with Dilandau had put a dampener on the cat-girl's efforts to reinforce her identity. Granted, he had been unconscious for several months and perhaps did not even remember everything about his past life. It was remarkable that he even recognized her. But something still stung about him immediately associating her with Van, however reasonable this was. And she was determined to make him see her as a separate, distinct person.

Merle did not even know why she wanted some kind of validation from Dilandau, of all people. Why should she care what he thought of her? But somehow, because he was before her now, it mattered, and she resolved to rectify the situation.

Before Dilandau could fix on the best word to describe her, Merle interrupted him.

"We were never properly introduced," she said defiantly, "I'm Merle."

Dilandau raised an eyebrow at this, not expecting such assertiveness. "Well, then," he said.

Slowly and carefully, he rose from his bed and managed to take a few, slightly wobbly steps forward, trying to shake off the numbness from his limbs. He noticed that as he approached her tentatively, the cat-girl took a few steps backward but maintained eye contact.

"I was never really one for formalities," the pale soldier remarked, "and I hardly think they're necessary in this situation. But I suppose you already know who I am."

Merle nodded, still watching him carefully. She knew that she ought to have alerted the guard on duty that she was here and that Dilandau was awake. But for some reason, she remained rooted to the spot, fascinated with what was unfolding before her. And Dilandau said nothing but only looked at her with an expression of mild amusement.

From a comatose body to an amnesiac to what seemed to be a fully functional individual, Dilandau's condition had evolved alarmingly quickly. Merle did not understand how any of this had happened but some part of her wondered if her being there had somehow contributed to these developments. She even dared to consider that she had been the trigger for all this but she tried not to dwell on that.

"What are you doing here then, Merle?" Dilandau asked, interrupting the cat-girl's train of thought, "Something tells me you aren't exactly the guard on duty. Unless, of course, whoever is keeping me here is severely undermanned. Where is this exactly?"

"Allen Schezar's estate," Merle replied, "and there's a guard just outside this door."

"And I take it he let you in?"

Merle looked away sheepishly and Dilandau's eyebrow went even higher.

"I see," he said, even more amused, "So why did you sneak in here anyway? I have a feeling that it wasn't to enjoy my company."

"You weren't supposed to be much company anyway," Merle answered, surprised at her own brashness, "you've been asleep for months."

"That explains your boldness in coming here, knowing who I am and what I've done," Dilandau said gravely, "I certainly feel like I've been away for a while. Tell me, how did I get to be here?"

Merle sensed no threat from him despite the seriousness of his tone and she understood why he must be eager to understand his circumstances. So she explained the situation to him, with as much detail as she could manage, and watched his reactions carefully, aware that should he make any sudden movements, she could easily dash to the door and call for help. But as it turned out, she had nothing to fear from him, and as he listened attentively to the cat-girl's account, Dilandau began to look slightly deflated.

The suddenness of his awakening seemed to have drained a lot of his energy and he soon had to walk back towards the bed and lean on it for support. Merle felt a stab of pity for him, and once again was surprised at the concern such a controversial person was able to elicit from her. And she had even grown relaxed in his presence, and had the situation not been so bizarre, she could almost have admitted to enjoying this strange encounter.

"Let me ask you again," Dilandau said, after a pause, "Why are you here, anyway?"

Merle shrugged. "Honestly, I was just curious, that's all. And there isn't much to do around here."

Dilandau scoffed. "Well, apparently you're the only one left who is curious about my condition. The rest of the world seems to have forgotten I exist," he said bitterly.

"That's not true," Merle argued, unconsciously taking a few steps closer, "it's just that, there had been no changes for so long that they had no idea what to do and decided to just wait. But I'm sure that as soon as they find out you're awake, they will be very eager to see you."

"Eager isn't exactly the word I would use," Dilandau remarked with a sigh, "But I suppose I have _that_ to look forward to. Though I'm not exactly thrilled about it. I don't really know what I'm going to do next."

They were both surprised at this earnest confession. Dilandau had not meant to blurt it out and Merle had not expected such sincerity from him. The more time she spent with him, the more curious she grew about this former soldier of Zaibach. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask but did not dare to. But she was keenly aware that this might be the only time she would ever have him to herself since as soon as the guard or Allen found out about this, Dilandau would surely be taken away to be interrogated or imprisoned. And for some odd reason, Merle dreaded either prospect.

As for Dilandau, he still felt a bit disoriented by the whole situation. Merle was the last person he ever expected to see upon waking but for what it was worth, he still appreciated her presence. He did not have the strength to sustain ill-will towards anyone. And he shuddered to imagine what it would have been like to wake up completely alone.

"So why haven't you alerted the guard yet?" Dilandau asked, "I'm sure you've already thought about it."

"I have," Merle replied, "But that would mean having to explain my being here. And I don't really have a good answer for that."

Dilandau laughed, both at the frankness of Merle's answer and at the ridiculousness of their whole situation. However this meeting had come about, there was still some measure of comfort they could derive from it.

Merle had not expected such a reaction from him. His laughter was a completely foreign sound, but not an unpleasant one. And soon, in spite of herself, Merle joined him.

And that was how Allen eventually found them, a most unlikely pair, laughing together at the absurdity of fate.


End file.
